FOXES Academy, the Minehead catering college and training hotel for young people with learning disabilities, has been bought by The Aurora Group.

Its previous owners, Maureen Tyler-Moore and Sue Jenkins, who established Foxes in 1996 and built it up, have retired.

Staff and the 83 students at the specialist further education college for 16-25-year-olds were informed when the acquisition was completed last week and have already met some of the Aurora team.

“Foxes has an outstanding reputation with Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, local authorities, students and parents, so we are not anticipating any changes to the delivery of the service,” a spokesman for the Aurora Group said.

He said the principal, Tracy Clare-Gray, would continue to lead the service and there would be no changes to staff as a result of the deal.

The Aurora Group, formed in October 2015, provides specialist education and care services across the UK.

For children and young people up to 19, it now has nine specialist schools and homes, and it has four adult centres including Foxes, providing employment training colleges and supported internships, residential homes and supported living.